As we near the end of June, also known as LGBTQIA+ Pride month, we here at Kisskill have been reflecting on what this month represents and means to us. It’s something that’s close to our heart, since we champion sexual expression in all its forms and several members of our team are queer and proud. In fact, we encourage people to play and experiment with people of all genders (consensually of course!)... After all, variety is the spice of life!

As someone who identifies as sexually fluid, I personally love that I can primarily date men but also connect with women or non-binary folks, no questions asked. But I recognise this is a privilege and not everybody has the same experience - in fact, LGBTQIA+ communities around the world and even here in Australia struggle to be seen, acknowledged and accepted for who they are. 

That’s exactly why we need LGBTQIA+ pride - it is first and foremost activism for the rights and recognition of this marginalised community. For anyone who doesn’t fit into the heteronormative paradigm to be accepted as part of society, legally and culturally, and to be safe and seen.

‘Pride’ is the movement to accept and celebrate lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, queer, intersex & asexual identities (and more), and is celebrated in the month of June annually in many countries across the world. It takes place at this time because the movement has its roots in the Stonewall Riots in New York, which took place June 28th 1969. That night, when police invaded a prominent gay bar The Stonewall Inn, the LGBT community fought back against the harassment, led by transwomen of colour Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera among others. That uprising sparked many more with the community starting the gather more frequently to protest and reclaim gay power.

But LGBTQ pride needs to be championed all year round, not just in June.

Let’s take a moment to remember the roots of the movement, and to thank our fore-siblings for laying the foundations for the rights we enjoy today. We must be grateful for those who put the fight for LGBTQ rights on the map - often the most marginalised members of the community, particularly trans women of colour who were also sex workers. However, it’s also paramount to acknowledge we still have work to do as a collective. Around the world there are still places where it’s a crime to be gay or transgender, and LGBTQ folks still face all kinds of discrimination and harassment. The road to true liberation is still paved with challenges - so let’s come together to support our LGBTQIA+ siblings!

To be an ally, it’s important to open your mind and heart to all people, even if those people don’t fit into a category society has labelled as ‘acceptable’ historically. It’s time to honour the community by uplifting LGBTQ voices & normalising queerness. The mission, really, is to extend compassion to everyone and see the validity and beauty of every individual’s experience. As the saying goes, love is love.

Here at Kisskill we strive to be a safe and inclusive space for everyone. We embrace people of all sexual orientations and gender identities, customers and employees alike. Everyone deserves the same opportunity to feel comfortable in their own skin and we want to help facilitate that comfort as well as an embracing of sexuality! Whether you identify as a man, woman (or neither) we're here for you. Luxurious and sexy lingerie is for absolutely everyone and anyone who desires it... Kisskill is a judgment free zone!

No matter where on the Rainbow you land, we support every individual to express their true selves. Because at the heart of the matter, that’s what Pride means: being recognised, accepted & respected for who we really are. Whether you’re gay, gender non-binary, sexually fluid, trans, or anything in between - we support and celebrate your birthright to be exactly as you are. 

We here in Australia are blessed to live in a country that long ago de-criminalised homosexuality and in 2017 voted a resounding ‘YES’ to same-sex marriage. In Kisskill’s home city of Melbourne, we feel particularly lucky to have a large, thriving LGBTQ community. (Smith Street in Collingwood recently being voted “World’s coolest street”* definitely has something to do with its creative and expressive drag scene and gay bars, change my mind.) That isn’t to say there isn’t still queerphobia - after all, haters gonna hate. But we have enough of a loud and proud community to say to them, suck my stilettos. 

If pride is about valuing ourselves for who we are irrespective of whether we fit into the society’s ‘norms’, the best way to bring that into our day-to-day lives is to unlearn the shame that our heteronormative patriarchy has conditioned us to feel.  Adorn that tiara. Date whoever you want to date (if they’re keen!). After all, the wider your sexual preference, the more fun you can have. And we here believe that more is… well, more!

Remember… glitter and rainbows are for life, not just for June!

*https://www.timeout.com/melbourne/news/smith-street-has-been-named-the-coolest-street-in-the-world-060921